Review of Life Itself (2014) by Mark E — 17 Jul 2014

I can't honestly say that it was Roger Ebert that "got me into movies." My interest in film not only as art but as a determined career choice didn't manifest itself until I was near the end of my college years.

That being said, my first exposure to "film criticism" came in 1995 when I decided to actually pay attention to a show my uncle seemed to frequently watch called "Siskel & Ebert." Even though my 8-year-old brain didn't fully grasp the intelligent film discussion that was before me, I always remembered the bottom line: THUMBS UP or THUMBS DOWN.

You can make the argument that the quality of a a film shouldn't be measured by the direction of someone's thumb, but as a kid growing up, that was my gauge for weeding out the good from the bad - films that I either wanted to see but couldn't (R-rated films) and films that I knew I would be seeing very soon ("Toy Story").

Looking back, that show really turned out to be the opening act to my current (and fairly-new) obsession with cinema.

Before I start rambling, ll can say about the new Roger Ebert documentary "Life Itself" is that it is a fitting tribute to a man that has done so much for film criticism and the appreciation of film as an art form; a man who has left an untouchable legacy on that very medium.

Thank you for everything, Mr. Ebert. Rest in peace.